TV Top Ten - Week of October 30, 2008

For those of you following this year's season of Dancing With The Stars are well aware that Cloris Leachman was finally voted off the show. But, last week she was still in the running and the show was the big winner with the performance episode being the most watched and the results show taking third place.

The World Series was the only thing that got Fox back into the top ten. While the playoff games for the American and National Leagues, which ran on TBS, ranked highly amongst the cable networks. The World Series on the other has struggled to perform in the much higher stakes game of broadcast televisions. Apparently watching the pinnacle of America's favorite pass-time isn't quite as compelling as watching Grey's Anatomy rehash recycled storylines week after week.

With all of the debates out of the way cable television has settled back into the realm of average popular shows. Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants and Fox's O'Reilly Factor each took three of the top ten spots while ESPN's coverage of Monday night's slaughter of the Patriots over the Broncos was the top cable item.

Next week stats on Barack Obama's paid infomercials will roll out. Sure, there's a chance it will make the top ten but it's going up against the elimination of Cloris Leachman, which was a decision that probably drew more votes than the presidential election will.

RANK PROGRAM NTWK RATING VIEWERS

BROADCAST TELEVISION

1. DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC 12 18.497

2. CSI CBS 11.7 19.492

3. DANCING W/STARS RESULTS ABC 10.7 16.35

3. NCIS CBS 10.7 17.226

5. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 10.1 15.953

6. MENTALIST, THE CBS 9.6 15.282

7. CRIMINAL MINDS CBS 9.5 15.012

7. GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC 9.5 14.451

9. FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 4(S) FOX 9.3 15.479

10. CSI: NY CBS 9.2 14.39

10. FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 1(S) FOX 9.2 14.634

CABLE TELEVISION

1. NFL REGULAR SEASON L (BRONCOS/PATRIOTS) ESPN 7 10.822

2. WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE DSNY 3 4.92

3. THE OREILLY FACTOR FOXNC 2.9 4.39

3. WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE DSNY 2.9 4.587

5. SPONGEBOB NICK 2.8 4.354

5. THE OREILLY FACTOR FOXNC 2.8 4.171

7. SPONGEBOB NICK 2.7 4.685

7. SPONGEBOB NICK 2.7 4.418

7. THE OREILLY FACTOR FOXNC 2.7 3.884

10. S WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLAC(S)-10/26/2008 DSNY 2.6 3.991